Benevento is located in the Apennine hinterland of Campania, at an altitude of 135 metres, at the confluence of two rivers originating from Irpinia: the Calore and the Sabato. It has a population of around 55,000 inhabitants. In ancient south-central Italy, it was an important road junction.

In pre-Roman times, under the Oscan name Malventum, it was possibly the most significant settlement of the Samnite tribe of the Irpini. In 275 BC, following their victory over Pyrrhus, the Romans renamed it Beneventum, making it the first settlement of Roman colonists with Latin rights.

It was crossed by the Via Appia, and in 114 AD Trajan chose it as the starting point for the Via Traiana, an alternative route to the Appian Way leading to the ports of Puglia.